Alberta reports first case of rare swine flu in Canada

The patient tested positive, but then quickly recovered and there is no evidence that the virus was spread to anybody else in the interim. It is believed that there is no risk to the public at this time.

According to CTV News, this strain, called H1N2, has always been associated with swine, and is non-seasonal and extremely rare, with only 27 confirmed positive human cases since its discovery in 2005.

“We tend to see anywhere from roughly a range of 10 to 30 cases identified per quarter, so it is a virus that is not uncommon in our swine populations,” Dr. Keith Lehman, Alberta's chief veterinarian, said. “We’ve certainly noticed, over the last five years, that H1N2 has become I would say a bit more prevalent.”

It's worth noting that H1N2 can only be caught by exposure to infected animals, is in no way considered any sort of a food-borne illness.